Alexithymic But Not Autistic Traits Impair Prosocial Behavior.

Social impairments are a core feature of autism-spectrum disorders. However, there is a considerable variability in these impairments. Most autistic individuals show large impairments in social functioning but some autistic individuals show small impairments in social functioning.

Genome Sequences of 17 Diverse Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phages.

Here, we describe genome sequences of 17 phages, including therapeutic candidates. They belong to the families , , and and six different genera. The genomes ranged in size from 42,788 to 88,805 bp, with G+C contents of 52.

Synergistic Killing and Re-Sensitization of to Antibiotics by Phage-Antibiotic Combination Treatment.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections pose a serious health threat. Bacteriophage-antibiotic combination therapy is a promising candidate for combating these infections. A 5-phage cocktail, PAM2H, was tested in combination with antibiotics (ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, meropenem) to determine if PAM2H enhances antibiotic activity.

Effect of a 1-year short message service in detoxified alcohol-dependent patients: a multi-center, open-label randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Existing evidence suggests that text message interventions can help people to reduce their alcohol consumption. However, studies with alcohol-dependent patients are lacking. In this study a 1-year automatic mobile phone-based short messaging service (SMS) intervention on alcohol consumption in patients after alcohol detoxification in hospital was compared with treatment as usual.

Complete Genome Sequences of 10 Phages Lytic against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

We report the genome sequences of 10 phages studied for their potential for formulation of a therapeutic cocktail; they represent the families , , and Genome sizes ranged from 43,299 to 88,728 nucleotides, with G+C contents of 52.1% to 62.2%.

[Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and trauma sequel disorders in adolescence].

This text examines post-traumatic stress disorders and trauma sequel disorders in adolescence, focusing in particular on the problem of transition. On the one hand, on the diagnostic level traumatizations are often not PTSD-specific, but rather self-help and self-medication measures as well as alcohol and drug addiction and dissociality, which are often not sufficiently questioned in the adult psychiatric system. On the other hand, it is about the further development and implementation of trauma pedagogical approaches, especially for young people who grow up in critical high-risk constellations or who are already in institutions of youth welfare or integration assistance.

[Transition psychiatry - challenges and solutions].

Disruptions in psychiatric care delivery during the transition from adolescence to adulthood frequently lead - particularly in the case of severe mental illness - to a considerable treatment delay and an especially high rate of treatment dropout with a high risk of early chronification. The joint Task Force Transition, of the German Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy (DGKJP) and the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN), therefore analyzed general, sector-specific and disorder-specific gaps in the German psychiatric care system which obstruct a successful transition to the adult psychiatric care system. The article summarizes the results of the Task Force, outlines the aims and challenges of transition-psychiatric treatment models, and addresses their structural and professional prerequisites.

The role of attachment characteristics in dialectical behavior therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder.

Attachment characteristics play a key role in understanding borderline-specific problems with respect to childhood maltreatment. The aim of this study was to investigate how attachment representations may influence the trajectory of change in a 1-year outpatient dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Attachment representations were assessed in 26 BPD patients and 26 healthy controls (HC) using the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) before treatment.

Improving Medication Adherence With Telemedicine for Adults With Severe Mental Illness.

Objective: The study evaluated a telephone call and text message intervention to improve adherence to medication among patients with severe mental illness.

Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted, and outpatients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder were assigned to the intervention group or to a usual care control group. The intervention was provided by trained nurses.

The relation of alexithymia, chronic perceived stress and declarative memory performance: Results from the general population.

Previous evidence showed associations of alexithymia with altered declarative memory performance. However, these findings were not fully consistent and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Alexithymic subjects may be at specific risk for chronic psychosocial stress, which in turn represents a predictor for poorer memory performance.

Effects of Bacteriophage K on Expression of Cytokines and Activation Markers by Human Dendritic Cells In Vitro.

A potential concern with bacteriophage (phage) therapeutics is a host-versus-phage response in which the immune system may neutralize or destroy phage particles and thus impair therapeutic efficacy, or a strong inflammatory response to repeated phage exposure might endanger the patient. Current literature is discrepant with regard to the nature and magnitude of innate and adaptive immune response to phages. The purpose of this work was to study the potential effects of phage K on the activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Associations of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder with the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system in the general population.

Background: Previous studies suggested that exposure to traumatic events during childhood and adulthood and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with a dysregulation of different neuroendocrine systems. However, the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) in relation to trauma/PTSD has been largely neglected.

Methods: Traumatization, PTSD, and plasma concentrations of renin and aldosterone were measured in 3092 individuals from the general population.

Predictors of medication adherence among patients with severe psychiatric disorders: findings from the baseline assessment of a randomized controlled trial (Tecla).

Background: Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are characterized by a high disease burden. Antipsychotic medication is an essential part of the treatment. However, non-adherence is a major problem.

Assessment of subjective emotional valence and long-lasting impact of life events: development and psychometrics of the Stralsund Life Event List (SEL).

Background: Life events (LEs) are associated with future physical and mental health. They are crucial for understanding the pathways to mental disorders as well as the interactions with biological parameters. However, deeper insight is needed into the complex interplay between the type of LE, its subjective evaluation and accompanying factors such as social support.

Inter-individual Differences in Heart Rate Variability Are Associated with Inter-individual Differences in Empathy and Alexithymia.

In the present study, we investigated whether inter-individual differences in vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) would be associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. To this end, we determined resting state HF-HRV in 90 individuals that also completed questionnaires assessing inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia. Our categorical and dimensional analyses revealed that inter-individual differences in HF-HRV were differently associated with inter-individual differences in empathy and alexithymia.

[Young Academics in Neuropsychological Disciplines: Factors Affecting Career Aspiration in Psychiatry, Neurology and Psychosomatic Medicine].

Objective: Students with specialization preferences in psychiatry, neurology, or psychosomatic medicine were retrospectively compared with regard to aspects of motivation to choose medicine as their field of study.

Methods: To identify early predictors of specialization preferences, a nationwide online survey was conducted with 9079 medical students. The statements of those with a preference for neurology, psychiatry, or psychosomatic medicine were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Living alone and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system: Differential effects depending on alexithymic personality features.

Objective: Living alone is considered as a chronic stress factor predicting different health conditions and particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD). Alexithymia is associated with increased psychological distress, less social skills and fewer close relationships, making alexithymic subjects particularly susceptible to chronic stress imposed by "living alone". Only few studies investigated the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) activity in response to chronic stress.

Efficacy and Feasibility of a Therapist-Guided Internet-Based Intervention for Older Persons with Childhood Traumatization: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Although cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exist, only a small proportion of older adults seeks psychological treatment. Alternative treatment approaches are thus needed to fill the gap between provision and use of psychological interventions. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of an Internet-based, therapist-guided cognitive-behavioral therapy (Internet-based CBT) for older individuals with PTSD symptoms.

From Childhood Trauma to Adult Dissociation: The Role of PTSD and Alexithymia.

Background: The mechanism of how childhood trauma leads to increased risk for adult dissociation is not sufficiently understood. We sought to investigate the predicting effects and the putatively mediating roles of PTSD and alexithymia on the path from childhood trauma to adult dissociation.

Methods: A total of 666 day-clinic outpatients were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and controlled for sex, age, and the Global Symptom Index (GSI).